The God within..

This is an incident that I witnessed and, to some extent participated in, today. Normally, I take a lot of time to analyse something when I write about it, but in this case, I couldn't wait to post it. Here's what happened:

I was walking home, lost in worry about an exam, when I noticed a very frail, very old man. He was bent almost by 90 degrees, and was walking with the aid of a cane. I say walking, though it was more crawling. His stride was of about two centimetres, which he was talking at 2 strides per second(sorry about that description, just got used to describing stuff that way in physics). And he was stopping to rest every few seconds. It was quite pathetic.

Man, I was thinking what on Earth I could do to help him. I could have given him some money, but that wasn't enough. He was so frail looking that I didn't know what to do. Then I thought I could call him an auto to take him to wherever it was that he wanted to go to. But, something told me he wouldn't have accepted that. Just as I was debating internally, an transport auto, the kind that transports goods and not people, stopped by him. The driver got down, gave him Rs. 10 and then got back in and was on his way again.

My train of thought lost, I just kind of followed him to see what would happen next. As he walked at his pitifully slow pace, a road side flower selling woman also gave him some money, though he didn't beg for it. A woman from a shabby looking tailors store got out and also gave him some change.

As he sat down by the side of the road again, a nearby banana seller took two bananas from his stall and gave it to him respectfully. he also helped the old man get back up as he struggled to do it. Further ahead, another dirty looking man, who looked like he might be a construction labourer, helped him get across the road. All this happened while better dressed, educated, and office-going people walked by without a glance at him.

Now I'm not saying that everyone is required to help those in need, give charities etcetera, but a small gesture of kindness is all that it takes, isn't it? People on the lower rungs of the financial and social ladder did whatever they could to help that man, why couldn't those who could do better, do it?

Was that because those who helped that man are better aware of his condition? Because they could relate with his condition, with his poverty and pain, and empathise with him? Or because they knew they were the only ones who could and would help him? Does only the experience of something give us insight into it?

There is an old story which I read, about the Mahavir Buddha(Yeah, I do know a lot of stories) which is very much related with this um, account and which would enable one to better empathise and connect with my obseravtions. But this post has already become long enough, and I don't want to further increase its length. Maybe in my next post..

But hey, I haven't told yet what I did to help him in the end! I went home, got my two-wheeler, got back, found him with little difficulty, and offered him a lift. But he declined. I was not very surprised, and again asked if I could call him an auto. But he declined again, saying he was only going nearby. Again, I was not surprised. It was slightly frustrating, but I had done all that I could. So I went home, at peace with myself..